Rivers run strangely in the Eclipsed Kingdom. Many seem both clear and narrow, but like this river in the U.K, they are actually utterly deadly.

The rivers fill vast chasms, quite narrow at the top, but many stories deep and running incredibly quickly. Their seemingly flat surface masks the currents that will instantly pull down anyone who falls in, many stories deep, and carry them away at speed. most such rivers are fatal in all cases.

This makes bridges vital in the Eclipsed Kingdom and of course these bridges are infested with Trolls.

Rather than put in the ridiculous and complex efforts of supressing the Trolls, the Queen has instead organised and taxed them. An official Bridge Troll carries the medallion of the Shattered Triangle, meaning that fire will have little or no effect on them, and that they are directly licensed by the Queen as part of her Royal Household.

All taxes taken by the Trolls, whether in cash, information, riddles or flesh, go directly to her majesty.

Of course this makes moving around the kingdom incredibly difficult and dangerous, but mainly for peasants and the poor, which is utterly fine for the Eclipsed Kingdoms ruling class.

The traditional Toll for a crossing is two coins, a pound of flesh, a secret or a riddle the Troll cannot solve, though some Trolls have strange specific needs.

There is very little regulation of the Trolls and complaints against them are rarely upheld, unless they suggest that the Troll is holding back taxes.

Here are Twenty Trolls with Twenty Bridges.

THE BRIDGES

1. Gothic Stone. These are crusted with decoration and are usually crumbling into the river beneath. The trolls hide amongst the statuary covered in grey paint to catch illegals.

2. Bitter Black Catastrophic Wood. The black planks of these bridges creek awfully and set up sympathetic vibrations in the teeth, coccyx and sinuses.

3. Spiderweb of fraying ropes and green-wood planks. Possibly a suspension bridge, or an attempt at one by the Troll, possibly just an accumulation of stuff.

4. An Invisible Bridge. The Troll will assure you it is definitely there.

5. Slender Stone Span. only one foot wide at the centre.

6. Stepping Stones.

7. Fallen and rotting tree. Huge and black, some of its branches still some to have green shoots. Fungi infest the wood. Difficult to climb over.

8. A weir. The path is narrow and just above the waters surface. The drop makes things even more deadly than usual, to one side at least. Though falling on the other side can see you dragged through the gouting gaps.

9. Giant Mill Wheel. The Troll will pull a lever and allow you to climb up and over, and definitely wont start it running once you are up or inside the wheel.

10. Bridge of Human hair. This may still have the princess(s) who grew the hair attached at one or both sides. If they are still alive they may wish to be rescued. of course then the Kingdom would lose a bridge.

11. Bridge also a small village of Goblins, built on much like the old London Bridge. The Troll is the Mayor usually.

12. Bridge of Shadows. In most kingdoms this would exist only at morning or evening, or on gloomy days. However, due to the permanent Eclipse, shadows are a steady construction material in the Kingdom. Unless someone brings a bright light.

13. Bridge of Frozen tears. Think no warm thoughts as you cross or it may melt and drop you in. The Troll may need more tears to repair the bridge and will be inventive in getting them.

14. Bridge of Glass. Edges razor sharp. Near invisible.

15. Constructed from acrobatic goblins who leap together to form its structure on the Trolls command. you must tread on thier faces to cross. But keep in their good graces or they will let go of each other.

16. Faerie Bridge made from 'delicious' meats. Giant gammon steaks for pillars, sausages for ropes, bacon for planks. Its horrible. The Troll will expect praise for its bridge.

17. A bound, blind giant forced to hold onto each side. Moans as you cross. It fears the Trolls cruelty.

18. Goblin-manned trebuchet on each side with nets waiting to catch crossers.

19. A bridge of music which exists for exactly as long as the Troll plays on a particular instrument.

20. A single, six-inch wide, one-inch thick pine plank which bows in the middle nearly to the waters surface. The Troll steps on one end to stop it shifting about and complains if you take too long.

AND TWENTY TROLLS

1. A Child Strangling Troll. With bugging pink eyes and long twitching pale fingers. Often wears a necklace of strangled dolls. Happy to forego the Toll for the cost of one child. A good, solid reliable Troll. Whispers.

2. A Shaking Troll. This Troll gets angry at some perceived slight and starts shaking the bridge when you are half way across, demanding some extra to the Toll, along with a formal, and polite apology.

3. Structural Troll. This Troll has the bridge itself built into its back.

4. Faithful Troll. This Troll is extremely religious and dedicated to the Black Church, it may quiz you about Azathoth worship, insist on giving you a sermon before you cross, in fact be the local priest moonlighting here and may let clergy pass for free.

5. Ledger-Bound debt-obsessed Troll. This Troll allows I.O.U's at an extortionate and insane rate of interest. It is obsessed with collecting its owed money and carries its huge debt ledgers around like armour. Its abacus can often be heard clicking from beneath the bridge. By the time you have crossed you may owe more.

6. Weaving Troll. Often running some kind of suspension bridge, or weaving rope or nets generally. This Troll climbs about like a spider and adores such creatures, training them, keeping them as pets, avenging their deaths and always ready to discuss them.

7. Cursing Troll. Any Troll that has been cursed can in turn pass its curse on (as it regenerates like every other part of the Troll), making them very dangerous. These Trolls are always bitter and looking for a reason to curse someone with the same curse they have. To get rid of it you have to find the original curser and get them to un-curse the Troll.

8. ShapeChanged Troll. Sometimes Trolls get polymorphed into beautiful women. Their eyes stay the same and their teeth remain sharp. The Troll tries to make the best of it.

9. Ethereal Troll. This Troll exists primarily in the Ethereal Realm but can push into this one like someone pushing through old spiderwebs. Usually they leave a donation dish and a sign with instructions and "I AM WATCHING". Of course everyone local is too afraid to steal from the Ethereal Troll, (assuming it is actually there and not a scam).

10. Undigesting Troll. Some Trolls suffer from stomach problems are are unable to quickly digest their food. They are enormously fat with the flexing bodies of everyone they have eaten in the last year shifting and pressing limbs and faces against their ripe flesh.

11. Culinary Troll. This highly civilised Troll has developed a taste for actual cooked food. in particular one specific and pricy dish. They are always willing to ditch their high Tolls for an example of this dish but have *insanely* high standards and will fly into a manic rage if it is not served with all formality and up to their expectations.

12. A Troll in Iron Shoes. Proud, bold and otherwise naked, ready to stamp any Fey to pieces. Massive Troll cock waving madly or fat labia flapping. This Troll is a chauvinist.

13. The Ghost of a Troll. Pale, wrathful, full of anger and strange desires, sorrowful and eternally hungry. Sometimes difficult to tell apart from the Ethereal Troll, though much more gothic and irrational.

14. A Troll Knight. Can such a thing be? Nevertheless they are armed and armoured in rusty scraps. Will challenge any martial or knightly crossers but will often let women & priests pass freely, if they are noble.

15. A Cold Troll. Stamps on the river and screams, freezing a bridge across. Blind, with an enormous nose and thick shaggy fur this troll has an incredible sense of smell and blood that melts weapons like icicles. They hate smoke.

16. Leprous Troll. Tolls and heavy bell and cries "Unclean! Unclean". Swathed in rags. Form shifting and crawling beneath. Chunks of necrotising flesh falling off even as they regenerate. A trail of pus and living boils like small baloons.

17. Some Goblins run the bridge and claim they do so for an especially enormous and violent Troll currently behind a screen or hidden beneath, who they advise you not to wake.

18. A Troll of Sorrows. Can survive any wound from worked steel but the weapon can never be removed from its flesh. Stamps forward grimly, ranting and dropping flakes of rust. Bitter (they all are really) and bad tempered.

19. A long-arm Troll. Often these are horribly ashamed of their long arms. They hide under the bridge and communicate through huge hand puppets like scrap-built crackhead kermits. Arms are actually 10 feet long or more and if angered they can easily grab and hurl people into the water.

20. Tongue Taken Troll. Silent and watchful, the Troll appears at the other end of the bridge and sends an enslaved child or enchanted animal to communicate. you probably cannot see from a distance but the Trolls lips are stitched shut and a wizard has its tongue to do magic with. Only an innocent soul can unpick the thread (these are raised specially in the Eclipsed Kingdom for various purposes) and if they do they Troll will KissBite the first person possible and steal their tongue, then go after the Wizard in question. These Troll can summon mists and place silent images in them, a power they lose if they ever regain a tongue.

4 comments:

Thanks very much I really appreciate it! The Silent Knights have already made an appearance in my current monthly game and have really caught the players' imagination. I am looking forward to exposing them to more of this stuff!